#11 Team Past News and Rumors
NOTE: many of the links in the past news will be old and may not work
decided it was not worth the time to go thru each one on all the Team Past News pages
2002 News
Nadeau to 2nd Wells team? It's likely [Jerry] Nadeau will drive a second car being fielded out of Cal Wells' shops.(Augusta Chronicle)(8-9-2002)
NASCAR, Craven, Nadeau and the Soap Box Derby: NASCAR's recently announced affiliation with the All-American Soap Box Derby (AASBD) will be highlighted Saturday, as Jerry Nadeau and Ricky Craven are scheduled to attend the derby's World Championships in Akron, OH. NASCAR and the All-American Soap Box Derby announced a multi-year partnership on July 5. NASCAR's involvement with the tradition-rich event is part of NASCAR's Youth Program initiative, designed to introduce young people to the motorsports industry, and more specifically NASCAR, and its numerous opportunities. NASCAR's Youth Program initiative also includes the Diversity Summer Internship Program and support of the Urban Youth Racing School. Nadeau and Craven are scheduled to fly from Pocono Raceway to Akron Saturday afternoon, after the final practice session for the Pennsylvania 500. Both are eager to view the AASBD World Championships, being held for the 65th year. The All-American Soap Box Derby is for competitors ages 9-17, who work with family members to build competitive cars, hoping to reach the World Championships. Through their presence on Saturday, Craven and Nadeau plan to send a message that the All-American Soap Box Derby is a huge event and a great American tradition, encouraging young people everywhere to participate. Nadeau competed in the AASBD, and nearly qualified for the Akron event. At the age of nine, he finished third in a regional qualifier in his hometown of Danbury, CT. "I'm excited about going to Akron and seeing the kids there," said Nadeau, driver of the #44 Georgia-Pacific/Brawny Dodge. "I've got something to share with them. I can remember my and my dad building my soap box car. And I remember I was so nervous the first year I raced."(NASCAR PR)(7-27-2002)
Nadeau to run the #44 for the rest of 2002 UPDATE: Jerry Nadeau, who nearly pulled out an incredible race victory less than a month ago at Sears Point, Calif., will drive the #44 Georgia-Pacific Dodge for Petty Enterprises the rest of this season. In Nadeau’s only other start in the car, he came within just a few laps at winning the California event, a drive-train problem sidelining him from a near five-second lead two laps from the end. "We’re doing everything we can and making any changes we need to make to bring Petty Enterprises back at the forefront of NASCAR racing,” said Kyle Petty, CEO of Petty Enterprises. “This is another step in that direction. We all saw what Jerry did at Sears Point but that is the kind of racing he has been doing throughout his career,” Petty said. “He has won on fast superspeedways, is one of the best road racers out there and is pretty good on short tracks too. He has proven he can win. He brings a lot to this team, to Georgia-Pacific and to Petty Enterprises.” Nadeau has competed with several teams this season with success. “This is a great opportunity to be able to drive again for this team,” said Nadeau. “We had a really good run at Sears Point, and I really respect (crew chief) Greg Steadman and the guys who prepare this car.. Everyone in this organization is really committed to being a champion, and I am ready to win.. We have showed what we can do, and with the people that work at and support Petty Enterprises, I believe we can continue to move this program forward.”(Williams Company PR)(7-23-2002)
UPDATE: Grissom will once again help with research and development for the [Petty] team’s three Winston Cup cars and its Craftsman Truck team – the same thing he was doing before he got back in the car at Talladega in April.(Anniston Star)(7-25-2002)
No Petty and Hamilton? ....the situation at Petty Enterprises seems a little more murky today, if word is correct that Bobby Hamilton is no longer a player in the picture for next season.(Winston Salem Journal)(7-21-2002)
Nadeau signed thru Watkins Glen with the #10 team: Jerry Nadeau will handle the driving duties of the #10 MBV Motorsports Pontiac for the next four events. “We secured Jerry through Watkins Glen, just going off what happened to Johnny in May,” team manager Jay Frye said July 14. “We saw (Johnny) and he looks a lot better than he did in May. The recovery process should be much quicker. I guess the fact that the (latest) injury involved the ribs up front and not in the back (helps). I think anything in your back, it’s harder on you, it makes it harder to breath. “We’ll know more (this) week, but we’ve got Jerry through Watkins Glen for sure, to be safe,” Frye said. “Johnny may come back before then.” At one point, it appeared Nadeau would step back into the Petty car, but a breakdown in communications, he said, prevented that move. “I kind of feel bad,” he said. “We just didn’t communicate real well. Jay Frye called me the day after Johnny got hurt and asked me if I wanted to do the 10 car and I said yes. Then the 44 team called. They were just a little bit too late. They’re good people. I’d love to do something with them, maybe after I’m done with the 10 car.”(Winston Cup Scene - need subscription to read)(7-18-2002)
Hamilton on possible Petty return from a interview with FSN's Winston Kelley AND: Winston Kelley: I'd be remiss if I didn't ask you the latest news. It looks like you're going to be moving on. What can you tell us about your future?
Bobby Hamilton: I'm talking to a lot of people right now. Needless to say I need to be in a Dodge. Those people have been very good to me the last three or four years. I have two factory-backed truck teams. Chevrolet has been good to me. You sort of got me on the spot, but good business sense would be to go to a Dodge if I can get there. I'm definitely talking to Kyle (Petty) about that. Seeing what's happening there, I think their program has really come a long way. They've got Robin (Pemberton, vice president of Petty Enterprises) there, and I've been listening to what Kyle and Robin have been doing there. Petty Enterprises is fixing to be one of the elite teams in the next year or so I'm real excited about maybe having a shot at that.(FoxSports)(7-15-2002)
AND Kyle Petty says he doesn't expect hire a driver for the #44 team for another two to three months. Steve Grissom is driving that car this season.(Roanoke Times)(7-15-2002)
More on Hamilton to Petty - to sign at Pocono? Bobby Hamilton, feeling unwanted at Andy Petree Racing, is disgruntled with his current situation and reportedly will leave the team following the 2002 season. Rumor on Friday had Hamilton moving to Petty Enterprises. He may ink the deal with the Pettys at Pocono in two weeks.(NASCAR.com Buzz). See past news on this on the #55 Team News and Links page.(7-13-2002)
Nadeau may run some more races at PE: Petty Enterprises CEO Kyle Petty said Thursday he would like to see driver Jerry Nadeau run more races for his organization. Nadeau substituted for Steve Grissom at the Sonoma road course race two weeks ago and was leading with two laps to go before his car broke. Nadeau left Hendrick Motorsports earlier this season and has been running for various teams on a short-term basis. "Jerry Nadeau can be and has been a winning Winston Cup driver," Petty said. "He's got to put himself in a position to run ovals and other stuff because that's what this series is. We'd like to have him run some races for us, whether it be oval or whether it be the road courses, but we've just got to figure out his plans and where he's going."(ThatsRacin.com)(4th of July 2002)
More Nadeau at Petty Enterprises? Kyle Petty said he was quite impressed with Nadeau's performance and Petty said he was interested in having Nadeau run some more races this season for his team.(Watkins Glen maybe?). "Maybe when we get past that point (the Chicago race) we'll sit down and talk with him again," Petty said. "He says he's got a couple of things working for next year, and I don't think we've got a shot at talking to him (about a full-time ride) for next year, but who knows."(Winston Salem Journal)(6-24-2002)
Nadeau at DEI? UPDATE in the #44 at Sears Point and in a Waltrip car: hearing Jerr Nadeau, recently released from the #25 Hendrick Motorsports ride, is talking to Dale Earnhardt Inc about a ride there for 2003.
UPDATE: ESPN2 RPM 2 Night's Ray Dunlap reports that Jerry Nadeau will be in the #44 Petty Racing Dodge at Sears Point in place of regular driver Steve Grissom. Also reported that Nadeau will drive a Michael Waltrip owned car at Chicagoland and possibly some additional race.(6-12-2002)
Petty Changes: New crew chiefs were named for two Petty Enterprises NASCAR Winston Cup cars, CEO Kyle Petty announced today. Brandon Thomas has been named crew chief for the #43 Cheerios/Betty Crocker Dodge of driver John Andretti, while Greg Steadman moved from that team to become crew chief for the #44 Georgia-Pacific Dodge of driver Steve Grissom. Bryant Frazier will shift into the role of car chief for the #44. Thomas, a mechanical engineering graduate of Virginia Tech University, has been most recently with Joe Gibbs Racing. From 1999-2001, he was at Penske Racing South working on the #2 car. While at Penske, Thomas worked closely with Robin Pemberton, Petty Enterprises' Vice President and General Manager. "Brandon and I worked well together at Penske" said Pemberton. "I've seen him with a lot of racers, and he will fit in great with our people. His race experience and background will be a big plus for Petty Enterprises."
"This is just another step in continuing our progress at Petty Enterprises," said Petty. "If we take the good people that we have, like Greg Steadman and Bryant Frazier, and add more quality talents like Brandon Thomas, we keep improving all of our teams. We were fortunate that Joe Gibbs and Jimmy Makar were willing to work with us, as they had Brandon under contract. Coach Gibbs kept asking for a first-round draft choice in 2003 to get the deal done, though," Petty quipped. The crew changes are effective for this weekend's race in Pocono.(Williams Company PR)(6-5-2002)
Petty hopes Andretti stays: Kyle Petty said on Saturday that he hopes John Andretti returns for a sixth season in the #43 Cheerios Dodge, but also acknowledged that Andretti is exploring other options. "John's been out talking, and that's a fact of life in Winston Cup racing," Petty said, " We want him to stay. We would be remiss to change drivers." Andretti's contract with Petty Enterprises is up at the end of this year. It's been a frustrating season for Andretti, 39, who has scored just three top-20 finishes in 12 races this season and is currently 32nd in points. He was 31st last year. Petty also said that the improvement of the #44 Dodge -- Steve Grissom finished eighth at Richmond, that car's best finish since 2000 -- has sparked interest among other drivers. Petty is also busy solidifying the future of his own #45 Dodge, whose contract with Sprint runs out at the end of the year. Petty's other two cars, the #43 and the #44, are fully sponsored for 2003.(NASCAR.com)(6-1-2002)
Grissom and the #44: Despite speculation that Steve Grissom's role with Petty Enterprises is as a short-term replacement for Buckshot Jones, things are going well so far. Grissom already had tested Dodges for the Pettys at Richmond, Talladega and Caraway (N.C.) Speedway before he accepted the #44 ride. The arrangement reunites Grissom with Bryant Frazier, his brother-in-law and former crew chief. They last worked together in 1995 at Diamond Ridge Racing and won the Busch Series title in 1993.(Sporting News)(4-29-2002)
Nemechek to the #44 rumor...again UPDATE 2 to field his own team? No: Kyle Petty's decision to release Buckshot Jones as [the #44] driver raises the possibility that Petty may hire Joe Nemechek to take the ride. Petty has veteran Steve Grissom in the car here [at Talladega]. Petty says he has talked with Nemechek, but both men say that sponsorship conflicts - Sprint [on the Petty cars] vs. Cellular One [on Nemechek's BGN #87 car] - probably dooms any possible job offer.(Winston Salem Journal)(4-20-2002)
UPDATE: During the BGN race coverage on Fox Saturday, Mike Joy mentioned that Joe Nemechek will not be running the #87 team in the BGN series any longer and that Nemechek is getting ready to move the team to Winston Cup for a limited schedule starting at Lowes Motor Speedway in May. Joy also said Nemechek's contract with Travis Carter (in addition to the sponsors conflict) might have gotten in the way of Joe taking the #44 ride with Petty Enterprises, but will not keep him from fielding his own car. Nemechek is also supposedly going to field the #87 car for road course ace Ron Fellows at Sears Point and Watkins Glen as he has the past few years.(4-21-2002)
UPDATE 2: Folks from NEMCO report to me that the only Winston Cup races they have scheduled to run from Nemco Motorsports are Sears Point and Watkins Glen with Ron Fellows. Nemechek's BGN schedule will continue to be the same as it is posted on his website, www.joenemechek.com. When it was mentioned on Fox's broadcast of the BGN Race that Brian Pattie had remained at our shop to work on Winston Cup cars, those Winston Cup cars in question were Ron Fellow's Winston Cup #87 cars which he was preparing to take to the Sears Point test this week.(4-22-2002)
Nemechek to the #44? UPDATE 2 No Grissom in Jones Out: rumors are afloat that place Joe Nemechek (recently released by Haas-Cart Motorsports) in the #44 Georgia Pacific Petty Racing Dodge at Martinsville this weekend. Buckshot Jones is the current driver.(4-9-2002)
UPDATE: checked with a few more sources and been told that Nemechek is still under contract with Haas Carter Motorsports and that the team is hoping sponsorship will come through soon.(4-9-2002)
UPDATE 2: Effective this week for the Aaron's 499 at Talladega, Steve Grissom will drive the #44 Georgia-Pacific Dodge. Grissom, a former BGN and NASCAR All-Pro series champion, has worked with Petty Enterprises over the past year helping them test and develop their Dodge Intrepid race cars. "Buckshot did a good job for us, and I personally appreciate everything he has done for us at Petty Enterprises," said Kyle Petty, CEO of Petty Enterprises. "We continue to have the utmost respect for Buckshot as an individual and as a Winston Cup driver. We have not performed to our expectations, and we felt like it was time to make a change. Sometimes you change the coach, and sometimes you change the quarterback. This time we decided to shake up the chemistry by changing the quarterback. We believe that Steve, because he's been around us and has helped us with these cars, can step in and move the Georgia-Pacific team forward. Because of the way we've done our testing with our R&D program, Steve has more laps in some of our cars than I do or John does. Ordinarily you'd expect some disruption with a change of drivers, but Steve has worked with the team, and has won a Busch Series championship with crew chief Bryant Frazier, so we expect him to step in and not skip a beat."
"I'm excited to get the opportunity to drive the Georgia-Pacific/Brawny Dodge," said Grissom. "Everyone can see the great strides that Petty Enterprises has made this year. Having the opportunity to assist in the testing and development of these cars means that I know how good they are. The team that Kyle Petty and Robin Pemberton have put together is a winning combination. I'm confident that I can come in and work well with the team and that we will have success."(Williams Company PR)(4-17-2002)
Buckshot and Teen Safety: Georgia-Pacific Corp. brings its Teen Safety 500 program to two high schools in the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex on Thursday, April 4. Keller High School and Fossil Ridge High School have been selected to participate in this innovative program, which utilizes Georgia-Pacific's involvement with NASCAR to spread the message of safe driving among teens. NASCAR Winston Cup driver Buckshot Jones will be on hand to present the Teen Safety 500 program to students. Activities begin at 9:30am at Keller High School. Dallas/Ft. Worth is the second of eight stops Georgia-Pacific's Teen Safety 500 will be making during the 2002 NASCAR season. Student drivers at these two schools will sign a safe-driving pledge to remain violation-free with no crashes during a three-week period. Once registered at Georgia-Pacific's Web site, students will have the opportunity to win prizes for themselves and their school. Both schools will receive a cash contribution from Georgia-Pacific for their participation. The school with the highest ratio of students completing three weeks of safe driving will win an additional contribution. Georgia-Pacific will provide participating students with a variety of prizes for those who log their safe miles, such as MP3 players and product coupons from Sonic Drive-In. One winner will be chosen from all participating students nationwide to win the grand prize: a $1,000 Gift Card from Best Buy. Buckshot Jones, driver of the #44 Georgia-Pacific/Petty Dodge, is Georgia-Pacific's spokesperson for the Teen Safety 500 program and a proponent of safe driving.(Williams Company PR)(4-4-2002)
Jones Not Looking: Rumors have been circulating for a while that Petty Enterprises would replace Buckshot Jones with Joe Nemechek, and in turn, talk had surfaced that Jones and his father, Billy, were looking to take sponsor Georgia-Pacific either to Andy Petree Racing or back to the Busch Series. On March 18, Billy Jones dismissed rumors of his and his son’s departure. “You can print this in bold letters ... that’s the biggest bunch of bull I’ve ever heard,” Jones said. “Buckshot’s happy with Georgia-Pacific. He’s happy with the Pettys. And besides, Georgia-Pacific is not our sponsor to take anywhere else. It’s the Pettys’ (sponsor).”(Winston Cup Scene - need sub to read).(3-21-2002)
Frazier Takes Home IRWIN Crew Chief of the Week Honors It was quite a homecoming last week in Atlanta for Buckshot Jones, driver of the #44 Georgia-Pacific Dodge, as he posted a 12th place finish in the MBNA America 500. However, things didn't look so bright in the beginning for the Georgia-native. Jones, who started 14th, had a tight car early in the race. His problems escalated when he was blocked during a routine pit stop by another car, costing him track position and, eventually, a lap. Despite the setback, the team's crew chief, Bryant Frazier, was confident that they had a car capable enough to post a strong finish. Once Jones managed to get back on the lead lap, he charged to the front and posted the best finish of his career, helping to earn Frazier this week's "IRWIN Rough to Finish Award." Each week throughout the 2002 NASCAR Winston Cup season, IRWIN, makers of professional power tool accessories like MARATHON PLUS saw blades and SPEEDBOR flat bits, is partnering with Performance Racing Network to honor the crew chief who had the toughest day in the pits, but still managed to help his team to a strong finish. The IRWIN Rough to the Finish Award includes an assortment of tools for the crew chief and a $250 check donated to the Connie Parsons Memorial Fund in the racing team's name. The year-end winner of the crew chief points standings will win a $5,000 check donated to the Fund. Race fans wanting to make a contribution to the Fund may do so by sending it to The Connie Parsons Memorial Fund, PO Box 443, Elerby, NC 28338.(Golin/Harris PR)(3-13-2002)
Buckshot to lose ride? UPDATE: Car owner Kyle Petty danced around reports that Buckshot Jones would be fired this week. Petty, who also owns the #44-Dodge he drives and a similar #43-Dodge for John Andretti, said Petty Enterprises has a five-year contract with Jones and sponsor Georgia Pacific. Then he admitted he's told the entire race team they're on notice to deliver better results. Jones, a University of Georgia graduate, had no top-10 finishes last year. He finished 41st in the point standings after failing to qualify for six races. Joe Nemechek, whose team will fold today if it doesn't secure sponsorship, already is rumored to replace Jones.(Augusta Chronicle)(3-11-2002)
UPDATE: For Petty Enterprises, the race was an upbeat one. John Andretti crashed, but the Dodges of Buckshot Jones and Kyle Petty finished 12th and 15th, respectively. Oddly enough, after the best finish of his Petty Enterprises tenure, the subject of Jones’ job security came up. "A lot of people are on the hot seat," said Kyle Petty, who heads the team as well as driving for it. "We’re on the hot seat: Petty Enterprises with General Mills (Andretti’s sponsor) and Georgia Pacific (Jones’). The way we’ve run for a year, if the sponsors aren’t screaming, there’s a problem with that. They’re screaming a little bit. They want us to run better. They’re not mad at us, but they want us to run better. When that happens, a lot of times rumors start." Petty added that Jones’ job security was as great as his, but that either could be out of a job as driver if circumstances dictated the move. "(The Georgia Pacific #44 Dodge) is (Jones’) car," Petty said, "it has been for the past year, and it will be in the future, as far as we’re concerned." Petty added that if he decided to give up his driving career, he would hire someone else to drive the team’s #45 Dodge.(Gaston Gazette)(3-11-2002)
Kyle Ride: The 2002 Sprint/Kyle Petty Charity Ride Across America will thunder across the USA from June 23-30, 2002. The cross country trek will leave from California on June 23 and conclude in Trinity, North Carolina on June 30, 2002. This annual event benefits children’s hospitals across the country; Victory Junction Gang Camp for chronically ill children, founded by Kyle and Pattie Petty in honor of their son Adam; the Winston Cup Racing Wives Auxiliary Trust; as well as numerous other charities. The route and details for the 2002 event are being finalized. However, information on registration and cost will be posted here as soon as it is available.(Kyle Petty Charity Ride Across America Site)(2-20-2002)
Petty Gets Brawny: Georgia-Pacific's Brawny brand introduced three new initiatives during a news conference at Daytona on Wednesday. The debut included the "Petty Pack," a commemorative three-roll pack featuring Richard Petty as the new Brawny Man, Brawny Shop Towels, which are the official Shop Towel of Petty Enterprises and a special Brawny paint scheme displayed on the #44 Georgia-Pacific/Petty Dodge driven by Buckshot Jones. The special Brawny paint scheme will run in five Winston Cup races in 2002. The #44 Brawny/Georgia-Pacific Dodge will debut at the March 24 Food City 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway. Other appearances during the 2002 season include the April 28 NAPA Auto Parts 500 at California Speedway, the May 18 Winston Open and May 26 Coca-Cola 600 at Lowe's Motor Speedway and the August 4 Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The Brawny brand will be featured prominently on the #44 Georgia-Pacific/Petty Dodge's paint scheme during all other races this season as well. The paint scheme featured on the #44 Brawny/Georgia-Pacific Dodge will be predominantly red, with blue and white accent stripes that swoosh from the lower front fenders to the upper rear quarterpanels. The signature Brawny Man logo appears on the hood, with the Brawny and Georgia-Pacific logos adorning the quarterpanels.(Petty Racing Site)(2-14-2002)
Grissom tests for Petty: Petty Enterprises test specialist Steve Grissom took driver's seat of the #44 Georgia Pacific
Dodge during a two-day, fact-finding test at Kentucky Speedway. "We have some things we're trying for the (Petty Enterprises) teams - a
little bit of chassis stuff, a little bit of aero stuff," Grissom said. "It's our responsibility to try some different things to see what works and
doesn't work. It's all about getting it to Daytona and getting it (the NASCAR Winston Cup season) started." Grissom said he is optimistic about Petty Enterprises chances for a successful 2002 season. "They definitely made a lot of moves both last year and this year, but it's something that takes time," he said. "They have Robin Pemberton on board now and a completely different engine program, so that's definitely going help. It's all about getting it to Daytona and getting it started off." Grissom made one BGN start in 2001 and said he has no
immediate plans to race full time in 2002. "We've been pretty busy doing 'R&D' work and it looks like we're going to continue to be pretty busy."(Kentucky Speedway PR)(2-7-2002)
2001 News
PE in the wind: hearing Petty Enterprises [#'s 43,44,45] has a few cars at the N.A.S.A.'s Langley Research Center located in Hampton, VA today testing the a speedway car and a downforce car(1-22-2002)
Pemberton to Petty? UPDATE: rumors have former #2 crew chief, Robin Pemberton going to work for Petty Enterprises in some capcity (team manager, general magaer, consultant - but not as a crew chief) for the 2002 season.(12-7-2001)
UPDATE: Robin Pemberton has been named Vice President and General Manager for Petty Enterprises. "Bringing Robin to our race teams is another important move in taking Petty Enterprises to where we want it to be," said CEO Kyle Petty in making the announcement. "One of the winningest crew chiefs in Winston Cup history joining one of the best engine builders with Mike Ege and bringing them together with all three of our race teams under one roof, we think these moves are going to be big for us." Pemberton, whose career began at Petty Enterprises and has served with some of the top names in motorsports as a crew chief - Kyle Petty, Mark Martin, Bobby Allison, Neil Bonnett and, most recently, Rusty Wallace - has 499 career starts and winnings of nearly $25 million. Both are second in NASCAR's modern era. Pemberton.s position continues a series of bold moves made by Petty Enterprises over the past seasons. The first organization to join forces with Dodge for NASCAR Winston Cup racing, Petty Enterprises began an engineering agreement with Elan Technologies of Atlanta, Ga., last Spring; moved all three teams under one roof in Level Cross in the past month; added Mike Ege Racing engines as its exclusive supplier at the beginning of this year; and now has one of the sport's top organizational mechanical minds as Vice President and General Manager.(Williams Company PR)(1-2-2002)
Pemberton to Petty? rumors have former #2 crew chief, Robin Pemberton going to work for Petty Enterprises in some capcity (team manager, general magaer, consultant - but not as a crew chief) for the 2002 season.(12-7-2001)
Congrats to Buckshot: Buckshot Jones and his wife Gina are the proud parents of a son, Kolton Ray, who was born at 7:10pm/et, Monday, Nov. 26th. Young Mr. Jones was 8 pounds, 4 ounces at birth. He is the first child for the couple. Mother and child are both doing well. The elder Jones drives the #44 Georgia-Pacific Dodge for Petty Enterprises(Williams Company)(11-27-2001)
Jones Honors Girl: Winston Cup driver Buckshot Jones will run Sunday's race with a hair bow in his #44 Dodge given to him by Bobby and Pam Simmons, the parents of a 13-year-old girl, Alicia Simmons, who died June 7 of a congenital heart defect. Alicia, of Homestead, Fla., was a Jones fan and had first seen him race in a Grand National event at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Alicia's 15-year-old brother, R.J., suffers from the same ailment.(That's Racin'), ALSO The weekend also has the possibility of becoming Jones, most memorable and exciting week, as he and his wife Jina are expecting their first child. The child is due November 21st, but may come earlier than doctors expect(Williams Company)(11-18-2001)
Rolex 24 and Cup Drivers: Kyle Petty, John Andretti, Jeff Burton will race together in the Rolex 24 At Daytona. Petty, Andretti and Burton will drive an Orbit Racing Porsche in the GT class, while Wally Dallenbach will take the wheel of Robinson Racing's prototype for the race Feb. 2-3. Petty helped Orbit Racing to a fourth-place finish last year in the GT class, and teamed with Andretti in Orbit's Porsche GT3 RS to win the Bully Hill Vineyards 250 at Watkins Glen International. Dallenbach will join team owner George Robinson, Jack Baldwin and Steve Knapp in a Judd-powered Riley & Scott Mark III-C.(Daytona Beach News Journal)(11-8-2001)
Hewlett to leave PE UPDATE: Doug Hewitt is leaving his position with Petty Enterprises as the head of its Research and Engineering Developmental Program. He is expected to go work for Joe Gibbs Racing as crew chief for Coy Gibbs in the BGN series, Gibbs currently runs in the CTS(truck) series(NASCAR.com Buzz)
UPDATE: sources tell me that Gibbs will STAY in the CTS and NOT move up to the BGN series(10-31-2001)
Cup car stolen UPDATE 3 Petty and Yates? new Petty engine supplier: At sometime over the past weekend someone stole an official Winston Cup race car from a race team's parking lot. Investigators are not saying which team owns the car. But they are saying the car is worth $200,000. Investigators say it was locked inside a white trailer when someone pulled up, hooked it up and drove off. The team is expected to announce the theft soon, ask for help finding it, and offer a very substantial reward to get it back.(NBC6.com)(9-28-2001)
UPDATE: quite a twist from NASCAR.com's Buzz - The Buzz has learned that the car was stolen from the property of Robert Yates Racing. It wasn’t a Yates car, though, but a dyno chassis car owned by Petty Enterprises. So, what was a Petty car doing at Yates? Well, the two teams may be making some sort of announcement in the next couple of weeks regarding either a joint venture or new ownership of an existing division of Yates. The current ownership of all race teams for both teams will remain the same.(NASCAR.com)(9-29-2001)
UPDATE 2: hearing that Yates is helping Petty design heads and is looking at supplying Dodge engines to Pettty next year
UPDATE 3: Petty Enterprises will get engines for its 2002 Winston Cup teams (#'s 43,44,45) from a company being spun off of Robert Yates' engine manufacturing business. Mike Ege, general manager and chief engine builder at Robert Yates Engine Manufacturing, has acquired that company and will rename it Mike Ege Racing Engines. That company will supply engines to the three Petty Enterprises Cup teams beginning next season. Ford teams (#'s 7, 11, 26, 32, 66, 90) that had been getting their engines from the subsidiary operation Ege was leading for Yates will start getting their motors directly from Robert Yates Racing, Inc., which also builds the engines for the two Yates-owned Cup teams of drivers Dale Jarrett and Ricky Rudd(That's Racin')(10-2-2001)
Fire at Petty Enterprises UPDATE 3: hearing there was a fire at Petty Enterprises Wednesday afternoon, been told it was a small in the engine room, more info as it is found
UPDATE: FOX8 WGHP reported today that a fire occured at the Petty Enterprises shop, two crewmembers injured, one mechanic was flown to Baptist Hospital in Winston Salem, NC with burns to hands and legs. The other employee was not injured as badly. Appears that gasoline was spilled while preparing the 44 car to load on the hauler, the spill entered a room that contained a hot water heater and ignited. Guil Rand Fire Dept responded(a few readers sent this info)(9-12-2001)
UPDATE 2: Two employees were injured at Petty Enterprises Wednesday afternoon when vapors from a fuel spill were ignited in a storage area. The two men were loading a 55-gallon drum of racing fuel onto a truck when the drum was knocked over. One of the caps on the drum was either missing or loose, allowing the fuel to spill. Vapors drifted into an adjacent room where a pressure washer is kept. The vapors were ignited by a flame from the hot water heater that supplies the pressure washer with water. The identities of the two men were unavailable Wednesday night. Randolph County EMS responded to the accident. A helicopter from Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center transported one of the men from the complex. Hussey said the man who was airlifted had received injuries to his leg and arm. The fire had been extinguished by the time firefighters arrived at the complex. He said a former Level Cross volunteer firefighter works at Petty Enterprises. Hussey said that man orchestrated the use of fire extinguishers and the cleanup of the spill.(Racing Extra)(9-13-2001)
UPDATE 3: A small storage room located at the famed Petty Enterprises race shop caught on fire late Wednesday afternoon leaving two crew men with injuries and burns. The fire was believed to be caused when the two crew men, Mike Root and Rich Parks, were cleaning up a gasoline spill and a flash fire erupted. Root suffered second and third-degree burns to his arms and legs. He was taken to Baptist Hospital in Winston-Salem to be treated for his injuries. Root was kept overnight where he remains in stable condition. Parks suffered a laceration to his head and a minor burn to his hands. He drove to High Point Regional Hospital where he was checked and released. The famed A-frame shop at Petty Enterprises suffered minimal damage. "Our thoughts and prayers are both with Mike and Rich this morning," said Kyle Petty, who serves as the CEO of Petty Enterprises. "Things could have been a lot worse than they were, and we.re grateful that both are going to be ok."(Williams Company PR)(9-14-2001)
#44 G-P/Petty driver Buckshot Jones Launches Teen Driving Program: Georgia-Pacific Teen Safety 500 Puts Responsible Drivers on the Lead Lap; Richmond Teens Will Work Toward National Goal of One Million Safe Miles - With the Georgia-Pacific Teen Safety 500, students from two area high schools who put safety first behind the wheel and log crash-free and violation-free miles will earn cash for their school, prizes for themselves and bragging rights over their rival school. NASCAR Winston Cup driver Buckshot Jones, who drives the #44 Georgia-Pacific Dodge Intrepid for Petty Enterprises, will be joined by Georgia-Pacific Executive Vice President John Rasor, and state highway safety and education officials for the Virginia launch of this national model program at 12:30 p.m. on Thursday, September 6, 2001, at Thomas Dale High School (3626 W. Hundred Rd., Chester, VA). The Georgia-Pacific Teen Safety 500 challenges students at Thomas Dale High School and Lloyd C. Bird High School to achieve and record 500 safe miles, on the way to a national goal of one million miles(Williams Company)(9-5-2001)
Leffler Subs for Buckshot: #01-Jason Lefflerm who fell out of the Southern 500 early, was able to gain experience and get some track time at Darlington Raceway in the #44 Dodge as he took over for Buckshot Jones on lap 197 and finished the event bringing the team a 35th place finish. Jones has the flu and was feeling bad so they asked Leffler to take over driving the 44 car because Leffler is about the same size as Jones(Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates PR)(9-3-2001)
Compton to Petty Enterprises? UPDATE 2: hearing Stacy Compton is close to signing with Petty Enterprises to drive the #44 Dodge. Compton currently drives the #92 Melling Racing Dodge nad Buckshot Jones currently drives the #44 Dodge(8-21-2001)
UPDATE: but the Anniston Star is reporting: Now that Childress has officially confirmed that Mike Skinner is out of the Lowe's car(#31) after this season, expect to hear Stacy Compton's name as Skinner's replacement. Kodiak is out as the sponsor of the Melling Dodge after this season and Melling has already given Compton permission to explore other possibilities for next season just in case a new sponsor isn't found. BUT everything I hear is Robby Gordon in the #31 Cingular Chevy(or whatever #)(8-23-2001)
UPDATE 2: Shaking his head with disbelief at the stock car racing rumor mill, Kyle Petty said today that Buckshot Jones would remain with Petty Enterprises as driver of the #44 Georgia-Pacific Dodge, and there are absolutely no plans to make any changes.
"You think you get used to it but some of the rumors you see and hear these days are incredible," said Petty, CEO of Petty Enterprises. "Some rumors just start almost like spontaneous combustion. The best thing to do is just ignore them, but some take on a life of their own, so you have to put them out. I want to make this as clear as I can: Buckshot Jones has a long-term contract. We want him to stay and he wants to stay. We have some things left to do with that car, and we have a lot of pretty high expectations," Petty said(Williams Company)(8-30-2001)
Jones/Mayfield in SI: Jeremy Mayfield and Buckshot Jones are the "tutors" in the Sports 101 section of Sports Illustrated this week (Aug. 20 cover date). They are the only two drivers quoted in a story on how to do "burnouts" on the race track. It was a result of Jeff Gordon's less-than-spectacular burnout attempt after his Indianapolis victory, rectified with a much better one following his Watkins Glen win. The Scorecard section is one of the most popular, and widely-read, sections of the national magazine, which has a national circulation of approximately 4,500,000.(Williams Company of America PR)(8-18-2001)
Petty Enterprises Upgrading: Continuing its effort to upgrade its access to the cutting edge of research and development technologies, Petty Enterprises has begun working with Elan Motorsports Technologies Group for its NASCAR teams. Elan is known for its engineering development, including the company that designed and manufactured the first car to exceed the speed of sound. Petty Enterprises fields three teams in NASCAR Winston Cup competition, as well as a team in NASCAR's Craftsman Truck Series. "This is another step in bringing our organization closer to where it needs to be," said Kyle Petty, CEO of Petty Enterprises. "We're working hard to make our race teams better in every way. Working together with Elan is a good way to keep that going." The first project involves scale-model cars developed for wind tunnel research. This allows the engineers to try a large variety of subtle changes in a minimal amount of time, to give a multitude of aerodynamic adjustments a chance in the wind tunnel. Other major development projects are also underway. "This is the type of research and development we need," Petty said. "In every NASCAR division these days, hundredths of seconds are making the difference. This is another step in finding those hundredths and tenths that we need to move back to where we want to be." Elan Motorsport Technologies Group is located just north of Atlanta, Ga. Its core business is its motor sport technology center, which provides composites, engineering, engine development, servicing and design, and fabrication facilities(Williams Company of America PR)(7-28-2001)
Buckshot OK: #44-Buckshot Jones made a trip to to same hospital after he too hit the wall hard in turn two. Riding along by himself, perhaps five lengths in front of Tony Stewart, Jones’ Dodge lost traction almost instantly and darted into the wall while spinning counterclockwise. The #44 Intrepid did not erupt in flames, a la Skinner, but Jones was taken to the hospital for precautionary reasons. There he was released after having his right knee examined(Gaston Gazette)(7-16-2001)
#44 Qualifying Driver? UPDATE 2: hearing Tom Hubert, who has driven in a few Cup races and is the #93 Bill Davis Racing Car Chief, will qualify the #44 Georgia Pacific Dodge for regular driver Buckshot Jones at Sears Point, but Jones will start and run the car in the race(6-21-2001)
UPDATE: yep, Hubert qualified the red #44 Dodge 29th and Jones will drive the car in the race, but will have to fall to the back of the field as required when going to a backup or changing drivers after qualifying(6-23-2001)
UPDATE 2: After he finished 16th on the lead lap in the Featherlite Southwest Series, NASCAR Touring SNAP-ON Tools 200 Saturday at Sears Point, Buckshot Jones pronounced himself ready to run the full Dodge/Save Mart 350 Saturday. Jones entered the race in a FSW team’s car to get track time. He started 39th but had raced up to ninth, when he inadvertently unhooked his safety harness and had to pit.(NASCAR.com Buzz)(6-24-2001)
Melling Racing and Petty Enterprises Team Up: Melling Racing and driver Stacy Compton(#92) have formed a working relationship with Petty Enterprises(#'s 43,44,45) from which both organizations hope to benefit. Compton said it will take a while before the whole plan is in place and results gained. "I'm pretty excited about it. We'll send one of our guys when they go testing, and they'll send one of their guys when we go testing," Compton said. "We're going to go to Chicago on Monday and Tuesday and, hopefully, what we learn there we can let them know and it'll help them."(That's Racin')(6-3-2001)
PE Changes? UPDATE: hearing Petty Enterprises (#'s 43, 44, 45 and #43 CTS team) has parted ways with some of it's engineering staff and that Larry MacReynolds (Fox Broadcaster) is considering working with the team when the Fox part of the TV deal is up after Sears Point(June 24th)(5-29-2001)
UPDATE: while hearing there were some personnel changes in the engineering staff are true, the part about Larry MacReynold's coming to PE is not true
AND A reorganization within the competitive framework at Petty Enterprises has led to a new position for Chris Hussey and an increased role for Doug Hewitt. Hussey, who serves as crew chief for the #45 Sprint Dodge, will now also be race operations manager for Petty Enterprises, facilitating communications among the three Winston Cup teams, the engine and research and development departments. Doug Hewitt, head of mechanical research and development, will have his role increased. "We are maintaining our system in terms of identical cars and in how we operate each week," said Kyle Petty, who drives the #45 car as well as serving as CEO of Petty Enterprises. "What we are looking to do is put more 'racer' into the decisions of what goes in our cars," Petty said. "A lot of times things look good on paper but don.t always translate into good race cars. We feel Chris, working closely with Doug, Greg Steadman and Bryant Frazier (crew chiefs for the #43 Cheerios/Betty Crocker Dodge and the #44 Georgia-Pacific Dodge), can put the 'racing' into our race cars. That, coupled with the engineering knowledge and expertise we have, will give us better and more consistent race cars each week." "We're moving forward. We're moving ahead," Petty said. "We're making whatever changes we need to make to be competitive and to run up front."(Williams Company)(5-30-2001)
Petty's Crew Chiefs to Embark on Year-Long Trek Across America: A recent survey of ASE-certified Master Auto Technicians revealed that a properly maintained and operated vehicle will run more efficiently, will be safer and will last up to 50 percent longer. Findings such as these, along with the concern that people have gotten out of the habit of taking care of their cars, have prompted NASCAR-legend Richard Petty and his crew chiefs to share with people their best practices for engine maintenance: the `All 3 Every 3' program, which recommends Americans practice proper engine maintenance by simply following these easy steps every 3,000 miles: (1) Change Your Oil (2) Clean Your Fuel Injectors (3) Check Your Belts, Hoses and Fluids. Richard Petty has enlisted the help of his Petty Enterprises' crew chiefs - Greg Steadman, Bryant Frazier, Chris Hussey, and Howard Comstock - in order to educate Americans about the importance of automobile maintenance. From March through November, Petty's crew chiefs will travel across America to introduce the
`All 3 Every 3' program. Tour stops with the crew chiefs will include a brief talk about the maintenance steps involved with the `All 3 Every 3' program, a car care question and answer session and then actual "under the hood" demonstrations and tips. Launching in Greensboro, N.C., the `All 3 Every 3' tour is scheduled to hold car maintenance events in Bristol, Tenn.; Roanoke, Va.; St. Louis, Mo.; Charlotte,
N.C.; Memphis, Tenn.; Daytona Beach, Fla.; Lexington, Ky.; Indianapolis, Ind.; Nashville, Tenn.; Richmond, Va.; Birmingham, Ala.; and Atlanta, Ga.(Petty PR)(4-17-2001)
Buckshot at Texas: Buckshot Jones' #44 Dodge, one of three Petty Enterprises cars, will carry a special "four generations of Petty's" paint scheme at TMS. The car will be unveiled in a news conference on pole qualifying morning (Friday, March 30). Adam Petty, the fourth-generation driver, made his Winston Cup debut last spring at TMS. He was killed a few weeks later in a crash at New Hampshire.(Dallas Morning News)(3-22-2001)
New #44 Crew Chief: Bryant Frazier has been named crew chief for driver Buckshot Jones and the #44 Georgia-Pacific Dodge team. The announcement was made this morning by Petty Enterprises CEO Kyle Petty. Frazier, 36, is no stranger to winning. The Alabama native began his racing career with driver Steve Grissom in NASCAR.s All-Pro Series and Busch Grand National Series, winning national championships in each division. Since 1996, he has been working - and winning races - with drivers Bobby Labonte and Tony Stewart in the BGN. Frazier has already begun his new duties. His first NASCAR Winston Cup race as crew chief will be this weekend.s Food City 500 at Bristol(Williams Company), no word of the status of the former crew chief, Mark Tutor(3-21-2001)
2000 News
Petty Enterprises Changes UPDATE: Rick Mann, head engine builder at Petty Enterprises, left the team after Atlanta to pursue other opportunities. Petty Enterprises continues to search for a replacement for Mann and hopes to have someone in place by January 1. Also the #44 PE Georgia Pacific team hired Mark Tutor to be the crew chief for new driver Buckshot Jones. As for the PE #45 BGN team, plans are still a go for that team, with Steve Grissom behind the wheel of the #45 Chevy, they are still looking for a sponsor for the car(contact info on the Engine Builder job is on my Team Addresses page)(12-8-2000)
UPDATE: The new #44 Georgia-Pacific Dodge will enjoy a lot of experience in 2001. Mark Tutor has been hired as crew chief for the team and new driver Buckshot Jones. Tutor, 38, joins Petty Enterprises from Haas-Carter Motorsports, where he spent part of the time as crew chief for retiring legend Darrell Waltrip. A native of Raleigh, N.C., Tutor has worked with such teams as Cale Yarborough Motorsports, Robby Gordon Racing and Loy Allen
Motorsports. The 2001 season will mark Petty Enterprises' 52nd year of racing, evolving from a small A-frame shop in the middle of North Carolina into one of the most successful racing organizations in motorsports history. Combined, the Pettys have won 273 races. For the 2001 NASCAR Winston Cup season, all three Petty drivers will race Dodges. Kyle Petty will drive the #45 Sprint Dodge, while John Andretti will handle the #43 Cheerios Dodge(Williams Company)(12-13-2000)
#44 Unveiled UPDATE: LIVE on NASCAR Online, the legendary Petty Enterprises organization will reveal their new sponsor(Georgia Pacific) and paint scheme for their #44 Dodge Intrepid team in 2001 on Friday, November 17th at 2:00pm/et
UPDATE: Buckshot Jones helped unveil the #44 Georgia-Pacific Dodge Intrepid R/T, which he'll drive in the 2001 Winston Cup Series. G-P is partnering with racing's first family, Petty Enterprises, to sponsor the car. Brands featured on the #44 Georgia-Pacific Dodge include many of the company's products for home and office, including G-P Building Products, Georgia-Pacific Paper, Sparkle paper towels and napkins and Unisource office products distribution(G-P Site). Also see the story and images of the car at NOL(11-17-2000)
Grissom Double Duty: Steve Grissom will drive Petty Enterprises’ #43 Dodge truck in the race Friday night at Texas Motor Speedway, then fly to Talladega, Ala., where he will drive the #44 Pontiac in Sunday’s Winston 500. Kyle Petty, formerly the driver of the #44, will qualify the car for Grissom at Talladega(Gaston Gazette)(10-11-2000)
Buckshot to run Atlanta: Buckshot Jones, who will drive full-time in the Winston Cup Series next year for Petty Enterprises, will attempt to qualify for the Cup race at Atlanta in a Chevy fielded by Buckshot Racing. Jones had also planned on running at Talladega, but scratched the idea when Hendrick Motorsports couldn't promise to have a restrictor-plate engine built in time for Jones to practice with. Hendrick became backed up in its lease engine program because of the last-minute requirements for plate engines at New Hampshire. Team owner Billy Jones is focusing on finding a replacement for his son in the Busch Series next year. He said he has talked to two drivers, and three others have contacted him. The team needs to find a sponsor to replace Cheez-It in order to keep running(Atlanta Journal Constitution)(10-2-2000)
#44 Changes: Fred Graves, crew chief for #44-Steve Grissom and Petty Enterprises, left the team earlier this week. Graves had worked with Grissom and Petty Enterprises, both in the Winston Cup series and the CTS. The plans to fill Graves' role this weekend by committee, with Grissom calling the shots on race day(That's Racin')(9-22-2000)
Buckshot to Petty and the #44? UPDATE 5 It's Official: hearing Buckshot Jones will be the driver for the #44 Petty Enterprises Dodge in 2001 and is bringing a sponsor along(9-13-2000)
UPDATE: Billy Jones, owner of Buckshot Racing, confirmed Wednesday that his son is considering offers from two current Winston Cup teams and could make a decision as early as next week. The latest speculation has Jones driving the #44 car of Petty Enterprises, with Georgia Pacific as the primary sponsor(Atlanta Journal Constitution), not sure who the second team is but I reported back on July 7th: hearing that Buckshot Jones has a sponsor that will allow him to return to Winston Cup. Supposedly they will not run their own team but look to hook up with an existing team. Some rumors have Jones father talking to Yates Racing and Hendrick Motorsports(9-14-2000)
UPDATE 2: Buckshot Jones will join Petty Enterprises next season as the driver of the #44 Dodge and the team has landed a primary sponsor, Georgia-Pacific, for next season. An announcement of the driver hire and sponsor addition will be made in the next few weeks(That's Racin')(9-15-2000)
UPDATE 3: Petty Enterprises is expected to announce this week that Buckshot Jones will drive for the organization's third Cup team next season(Roanoke Times) AND as rumored here last THURSDAY - Petty Enterprises is expected to announce tomorrow(Thurs) afternoon that Buckshot Jones will be its driver and Georgia Pacific its sponsor for the #44 car next season
UPDATE 4: The Georgia-Pacific Corporation will put its family of brands on the fast track next year, entering Winston Cup competition in the 2001 season. This Fortune 100 company with Georgia roots will team with Petty Enterprises as a primary sponsor. Richard and Kyle Petty will join Georgia-Pacific leadership to make the formal announcement, including the introduction of driver Buckshot Jones, this Thursday, September 21st at 1:30pm/et at Georgia-Pacific Center in Atlanta. Georgia-Pacific's history of motorsports involvement includes a
sponsorship role in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series in 1996, also with Petty Enterprises. The company's Winston Cup sponsorship, a multi-year agreement, again unites the two organizations for NASCAR's premier series(Williams Co)(9-20-2000)
UPDATE 5: Georgia-Pacific Corp. is officially off to the races, announcing plans to enter the 2001 NASCAR Winston Cup season as a primary sponsor with Petty Enterprises. Richard and Kyle Petty joined Georgia-Pacific leadership for the announcement, introducing Georgia-native Buckshot Jones as the team driver of the new #44 Georgia-Pacific Dodge Intrepid R/T. The Georgia-Pacific name and those of its brands will adorn the new Winston Cup entrant from Dodge Motorsports -- the Dodge Intrepid R/T. Buckshot Jones’ addition to the Petty team is the next step in a career that started as a college hobby and now is clearly on the fast track. Nicknamed as a child for being “tough as buckshot,” Jones has driven the #00 Pontiac on the NASCAR Busch Series this season. During the past five years in the Busch Series, he has won two Busch races, captured two poles and finished in the top ten 21 times. Brands to be featured on the #44 Georgia-Pacific Dodge will include Sparkle paper towels and napkins, Angel Soft bath tissue, Unisource, Pacific Garden soap and Georgia-Pacific building products and office papers(Buckshot Jones Site)(9-21-2000)
Buckshot to Petty and the #44? UPDATE 2: hearing Buckshot Jones will be the driver for the #44 Petty Enterprises Dodge in 2001 and is bringing a sponsor along(9-13-2000)
UPDATE: Billy Jones, owner of Buckshot Racing, confirmed Wednesday that his son is considering offers from two current Winston Cup teams and could make a decision as early as next week. The latest speculation has Jones driving the #44 car of Petty Enterprises, with Georgia Pacific as the primary sponsor(Atlanta Journal Constitution), not sure who the second team is but I reported back on July 7th: hearing that Buckshot Jones has a sponsor that will allow him to return to Winston Cup. Supposedly they will not run their own team but look to hook up with an existing team. Some rumors have Jones father talking to Yates Racing and Hendrick Motorsports(9-14-2000)
UPDATE 2: Buckshot Jones will join Petty Enterprises next season as the driver of the #44 Dodge and the team has landed a primary sponsor, Georgia-Pacific, for next season. An announcement of the driver hire and sponsor addition will be made in the next few weeks(That's Racin')(9-15-2000)
Petty Ride: The Bristol BreakAway, the inaugural ride in the new Petty Touring Series of the Kyle Petty Charity Ride, was a great success on Sunday. Over 100 motorcycles made the trek from Bristol, TN to Winston-Salem, NC, where they stopped at the Brenner Children's Hospital. There, Kyle presented the hospital with a check for $10,045. Of course, the 45 is in memory of Adam Petty, Kyle's son who died in a BGN practice wreck at NHIS. Also, some type of foundation in Adam's memory is in the planning stages(MotorsportsTV)(8-30-2000)
Dodge News: Kyle Petty says Dodge teams expect NASCAR to approve the Dodge Intrepid within two weeks. Once the car is approved, Dodge teams can begin building cars for next season.The Dodge engine has more work to be done to it before it is taken to NASCAR for approval. Dodge is not expected to present an engine for more than a month(Roanoke Times/Williams Company)(8-25-2000)
Petty's final Cup start of 2000: Kyle Petty, planning on making his final 2000 Winston Cup start at Bristol before handing the duties over to Steve Grissom for the rest of 2000, will hold an Interview Session/Press Conference on Thursday in the Bristol area. Petty plans to run the rest of the 2000 season in his late son's BGN car, the #45 Sprint Chevy in the BGN series(8-21-2000)
#44 Crew Chief: Chris Hussey, who is Kyle Petty 's crew chief in the BGN series, is working with Petty this weekend at Pocono. Fred Graves, the #44 crew chief in the Cup series, had a previous commitment with a Winston West team(Roanoke Times)(7-22-2000)
Petty Enterprises News UPDATE: On Tuesday, July 18th, there will be a press conference detailing Sprint's 2000-2001 sponsorship plans with Petty Enterprises (#'s 43 Cheerios and #44 Hot Wheels Pontiac in Cup; #45 Sprint Chevy in BGN; and #43 Dodge Truck). The announcement will take place at Lowes Motor Speedway at 11:00am/et. See Speedway Illustrated for the announcement at 11am(7-16-2000)
UPDATE: big news! Starting with the Sept. 3 Pepsi Southern 500 at Darlington, Kyle Petty, will run only the #45 Sprint Chevy in the BGN series. Steve Grissom, who drives the #43 Dodge Truck for Petty in the CTS series, will drive the #44 Hot Wheels Pontiac in the Winston Cup series. For 2001, Kyle Petty will drive the #45 Sprint Dodge in the Winston Cup series. Petty plans to run the #44 Cup team, but will need to find a driver and new sponsor as Hot Wheels will not return in a mutual decision. There are no plans to continue the Petty BGN team, but if Petty Enterprises in unable to land a sponsor for the #44, Petty said the organization could return to the series(Petty Racing Site, NOL, That's Racin' and SpeedVision)(7-18-2000)
#44 Crew Chief? UPDATE: hearing Fred Graves will become the crew chief for the #44 Hot Wheels team and Kyle Petty. Graves started the year as the crew chief for the #13 Robby Gordon team(7-4-2000)
UPDATE: Championship crew chief Fred Graves has been named to head the Hot Wheels Racing Pontiac team of NASCAR Winston Cup driver Kyle Petty. The announcement was made today. Graves had been working with Petty Enterprises as a consultant with the #43 Dodge by Petty driven by Steve Grissom, and will continue that role at New Hampshire this weekend. Sunday's Thatlook.com 300 will mark Graves' first stint as the team's crew chief. Graves, 53, is a native of Oswego, NY, where he became a legend with his chassis in Super Modified racing in the Northeastern and Midwestern United States. He moved to North Carolina in 1989, and has established himself as one of the most respected chief mechanics in all of NASCAR. In a variety of divisions, Graves has worked with Dale Earnhardt, Inc. and Hendrick Motorsports. With Earnhardt, he won a national Truck championship with driver Ron Hornaday in 1998. At Hendrick, he worked closely with champion driver Terry Labonte. Founder of his own company, Graves Racing and Consulting, Graves has spent this year working with Robbie Gordon's Winston Cup team early in the season, Petty Enterprises' truck team and part-time truck series driver Brendan Gaughan. Graves will fulfill his obligations, while working full-time with the Hot Wheels Racing Pontiac. Doug Hewitt, who heads Petty Enterprises' research and development program, will fill in at times for Graves(Williams Company)(7-7-2000)
Kyle to skip New Hampshire? UPDATE 2 YES: Kyle Petty has not decided whether he will go to New Hampshire for next weekend's Cup race, he said Thursday. The event would be the first time the Winston Cup Series has been at the track since Kyle's son, Adam, died in a crash there in practice May 12. Next Sunday's race comes a day before Adam Petty would have turned 20. Kyle Petty said he tries to take things one day at a time. He said he would have to discuss with his wife, Pattie, and their children, Austin and Montgomery Lee, whether to race in New Hampshire(Roanoke Times)(6-30-2000)
UPDATE: Kyle Petty remains unsure whether he will drive his #44 Hot Wheels Pontiac in next weekend's race at New Hampshire, where his 19-year-old son, Adam Petty, was killed in a practice session crash in May. NASCAR's Truck series also runs at New Hampshire next weekend and Petty Enterprises' driver in that series, Steve Grissom, would be available to drive Petty's car should he decide not to come to the race(That's Racin') AND TNN's Raceday says Petty may miss Septembers Cup race at NHIS also(7-2-2000)
UPDATE 3: Steve Grissom will drive the #44 Hot Wheels Pontiac for Kyle Petty at NHIS. Petty will not travel to New Hampshire for the races(NOL)(7-3-2000)
Herta to NASCAR? Petty? Since his full-time CART ride for this season evaporated, Bryan Herta has openly stated that he would be open to other racing opportunities. In addition, the 7th Gear site hears that Herta has been spending some time in Charlotte over the past month or two and has even tested a Winston West car. Apparently, he may be working on a deal to get a Busch ride next year with Petty Racing, with hopes of joining John Andretti in the Winston Cup ranks in 2002(7th Gear CART site) AND in part from the Columbus Dispatch: The down time also gave Herta time to lay groundwork for other opportunities. For example, he would not be averse to driving in NASCAR's Winston Cup circuit. A trip to the Coca-Cola 600 on Memorial Day weekend was, Herta said, "an eye- opening experience."(7-4-2000)
Petty Crew Chief/BGN Team News UPDATE 2: a story in this weeks Winston Cup Scene reports that one of the people Kyle Petty has talked with to replace former crew chief Bobby Leslie was his former crew chief Bobby Kennedy. Kennedy is presently with the #7 Ultra Mattei Motorsports team and driver Michael Waltrip. Kennedy says no decision has been made concerning his talk with Petty. Also as for the Petty #45 BGN team, they will skip Watkins Glen and probably Pikes Peak, but would compete in the remaining races with Kyle as the driver. Plans are unknown past the 2000 season, but Petty thinks they need four teams, the two Cup teams for Petty and Andretti, the CTS team with Steve Grissom and the BGN team, but if the BGN team stays in that series or moves to the Cup or CTS series remains to be seen at this point(6-23-2000)
UPDATE: Next week, Petty will drive his Cup car at Daytona on Saturday. The BGN races at Milwaukee on Sunday. Petty will have someone qualify for him, then race at Milwaukee. The only other problem in the schedule comes July 23 when the Cup series races in Pocono and the BGN series is at Pikes Peak, CO, the day before. After that, the two series race in the same cities(Roanoke Times). NOTE: Petty says in the WC Scene that the team would possibly skip Pikes Peak(6-24-2000)
UPDATE 2: ASA driver Scott Hansen will attempt to qualify #45 Sprint Pontiac for Kyle Petty at Milwaukee this weekend. Petty plans to fly to Milwaukee after Saturday night's Cup race at Daytona to drive for his son's team on Sunday. Petty will also run the rest of the season in the #45 BGN car, except Pikes Peak(RPM 2Night/Roanoke Times) Also Doug Hewitt will crew chief Petty's Cup car at Daytona, Hewitt is the interim crew chief since Bobby Leslie left the team a few weeks ago(RPM 2Night)(6-28-2000)
Kyles Front Row Start: This will be #44 Kyle Petty's first front-row start since he was on the outside pole at Martinsville in April of 1996(Ramblings/Catchfence). His last pole? Was at 1993 in the Daytona 500(6-24-2000)
#44 Crew Chief? UPDATE: hearing Doug Hewitt, who was #44-Kyle Petty's crew chief in 1999 will be crew chiefing the team this weekend at Pocono. No word on the status of Bobby Leslie who was the crew chief for the team
UPDATE: have confirmed that Bobby Leslie resigned Monday. Doug Hewitt is serving as crew chief this week. The team is going on a week-to-week basis for right now(6-16-2000)
Kyle to sub for Andretti UPDATE: Kyle Petty, who Saturday failed to qualify for at Dover for the Cup race in the #44 Hot Wheels Pontiac, will stand by in relief for injured teammate John Andretti at Dover Downs. The car has been fitted with Petty's seat. Andretti will run the car until the first caution then Petty will finish out the race(SpeedVision)(6-3-2000)
UPDATE: Kyle Petty relieved John Andretti during the first caution and was able to drive the #43 STP/Cheerios Pontiac to a 13th place finish(6-5-2000)
Petty PR UPDATE Kyle Speaks: Kyle Petty will address the media Friday, June 2, from 8:15 to 8:30am/et in the media center at the Dover Downs International Speedway. This will be the only time during the weekend that Petty will be available to the media. Petty is scheduled to drive the #45 Sprint Chevy in the June 3 NASCAR Busch Series race at Dover Downs International Speedway. He is also scheduled to return to the seat of the #44 Hot Wheels Racing Pontiac for the Winston Cup race on June 4. The Busch Series team has not competed since the tragic death of Adam Petty in New Hampshire on May 12. No determination has been made regarding plans for the #45 Sprint Chevy beyond Dover(Williams Co PR)(5-31-2000)
UPDATE - Kyle Speaks: See the full story and Kyle Petty's Quotes at SpeedVision: Petty Returns to Racing by Ben Blake. Petty talks about Adam, the team and the future. Some notes from the story: Petty's voice broke occasionally during his 15-minute conversation with the press and media, but for the most part his answers were steady and his mind clear. He began by describing how he and his family received the news. Petty said it never occurred to him to quit racing or close down the team. You can also listen to the Audio version at NASCAR Online and see a story there as well: Petty makes emotional return at Dover. Other columns on Petty: TachZone and That's Racin' in a Q&A format. Some Kyle racing notes: For the Cup race Kyle is scheduled to qualify 24th of 45 drivers. In AM practice Kyle was 33rd with a speed of 154.566mph. For the BGN in Adam's #45 car Kyle is scheduled to qualify 29th of 48 drivers. In the AM BGN practice Kyle was 26th fastest with a speed of 153.022mph. In the 2nd Cup practice, Kyle moved up to 13th fastest with a speed of 156.277mph.(6-2-2000)
Kyle to Drive? UPDATE Yes and The King Speaks: hearing that Kyle Petty will be driving the #44 Hot Wheels Pontiac in the Winston Cup race next week at Dover
UPDATE: Richard Petty spoke to the media today, one subject was Kyle: Kyle Petty, Richard's son and Adam's father, is taking some time off this week as he continues to work through his grieving process. Kyle will return to driving in the NASCAR Winston Cup Series next week in Dover, Del., his father said. See the rest of the story and link to the audio of the teleconference at NOL: The King is back at the track(5-24-2000)
UPDATE 2: There’s the possibility that Kyle Petty will drive the #45 Busch Grand National car as well, but that decision will be based on sponsorship and Richard Petty says he “seriously doubts” it will happen(Times Dispatch)
UPDATE 3: Petty Enterprises and sponsor Sprint announced Thursday that Kyle Petty will drive the #45 Sprint car in the Busch Series race at Dover next week(SpeedVision)(5-25-2000)
Petty Statement and News: The Petty family released the following statement: "On behalf of Kyle, Pattie, Austin, Montgomery Lee, and everyone in the Petty family, we are truly grateful for the outpouring of support, prayers and love we have received over the past few days. This is a very difficult time for all of us but we so appreciate the way our friends and fans from all over the world have expressed their love for
Adam. We thank each and every one of you."(Williams Company) ....AND....
From NASCAR Online: Steve Grissom will replace Kyle Petty in the #44 Hot Wheels Pontiac for the Coca Coca-Cola 600 at Lowe's Motor Speedway. The naming of Grissom, who drives for Petty Enterprises in the CTS, was a follow-up to the withdrawal of the #44 entry from this weekend's running of The Winston Open(NOL)(5-18-2000)
Kyle to skip The Winston: Kyle Petty will not the Winston Open this weekend and no driver will run the #44 Hot Wheels Pontiac there. Petty Enterprises will make an announcement in the next few days on if Kyle will run the Coca-Cola 600 or have another driver run the car there(RPM 2Night)(5-17-2000)
Sad News: NASCAR Legend Lee Petty passed away this morning. Condolences and thoughts out to the Petty family. AP story at the WRAL site also a story at SpeedVision. A private graveside service for family members only has been scheduled this week. In lieu of flowers, the family has requested donations to the Level Cross United Methodist Church Building Fund, 10142 U.S. Highway Bus. #220 North, Randleman, N.C. 27317.(Williams Company)(4-5-2000)
UPDATE: see a nice tribute at the Official Petty Racing Site. Some stat pages at Total Sports: Lee Petty's career stats and Winston Cup's 50-win club. And from a Keystone Marketing PR: Statement by W.C. "Junie" Donlavey RE: Lee Petty - "Lee Petty was one of the finest drivers that ever sat in a race car, and he was one of the true pioneers of the sport. He taught the drivers what it meant to really devote your time and effort to racing because he was very successful at it. He was just a fine fellow and very tough competitor. It was an honor to have known him and to have been a part of the series when he raced in it because it brings back a lot of memories. He was one the first ones to really make racing a career. When he started, he really went at it and made it a full time deal when others were just playing. I always admired him for really putting an effort in it to make the sport what it is today. He was one of the ones that devoted lots and lots of time to making it a true profession."(4-6-2000)
Petty Notes: TNN's Raceday reported there was talk of Kyle Petty driving the #45 Sprint Chevy in place of son Adam, who qualified for his first Cup race at Texas, but Kyle said No, that Adam would make his first Cup start and stay in the car. Kyle will be in Adam's pits for the race. Kyle also said the Petty Enterprise's engine department needs to step up and that the cars drive fine but have engine problems(4-2-2000)
Petty and Dodge: During an interview on ESPN2's practice coverage, Kyle Petty said that Petty Enterprises has set Monday(2-14) as the deadline for deciding what manufacturer the team will use in 2001(ESPN2)(2-11-2000)
Petty Announcement at Daytona? A media conference is expected to take place in Daytona Beach, Fla., within the next two weeks to announce that Petty Enterprises and its drivers, Kyle Petty and Jeff(um...John) Andretti, will be part of a second Dodge-sponsored team that will be ready for the 2001 NASCAR Winston Cup stock car series. A source close to Dodge Motorsports confirmed the rumors that Petty Enterprises and legendary Richard Petty will switch from Pontiac to the Dodge Intrepid when the division of DaimlerChrysler returns to the stock car series next season(Las Vegas Review)(2-11-2000)
Petty/TV: Kyle Petty again will serve as analyst for ESPN's 14 Busch Grand National broadcasts this season(Times-Dispatch)(2-10-20000
Lee Petty Recovering: Three-time national champion Lee Petty is resting comfortably in Moses Cone Hospital following a successful operation for a stomach aneurism. The four-hour operation was performed earlier today. Doctors told the family they are optimistic about a complete recovery. Petty, who turns 86 on March 14, is the founder of Petty Enterprises. He captured three NASCAR Winston Cup championships and won the inaugural Daytona 500 in 1959. His NASCAR career covered three decades, in which he started 429 races and finished in the top five an incredible 228 times and in the top 10 an unbelievable 321 times(Williams Company)(2-9-2000)
Petty Logo: One of the most familiar logos in motorsports has undergone a change. The familiar Petty Enterprises logo will change as the most successful organization in motorsports begins its second 50 years. Petty Enterprises fields the #43 STP/Cheerios Pontiac and #44 Hot Wheels Racing Pontiac in CUP; the #45 Sprint Chevy in the BGN Series; and the #43 Dodge by Petty in the CTS. "This year at the beginning of our second 50 years, we have brought all four teams - five, if you include Adam's (Petty) Winston Cup cars for some races this season - under one banner, "said Kyle Petty, who heads day-to-day operations of Petty Enterprises as well as driving the Hot Wheels Racing Pontiac. "Last year the Busch team ran as pe2, and the truck team as Richard Petty Motorsports. Now all of our teams and drivers are part of Petty Enterprises. This new logo incorporates four teams and three NASCAR divisions, and is representative of how Petty Enterprises has grown," Petty continued. "People can look at our new logo and realize we are more than just one team in one division. Petty Enterprises is an organization with a wealth of talented drivers, crew members and staff. With our new research and development team and our new sponsorship partnerships, we are looking to move to the forefront in our next 50 years as we did in the first 50. This is the kind of logo any of our sponsors and teams can display with pride on their products and in their marketing programs." The new logo is a striking red and blue design which incorporates the Petty Enterprises name in blue with a red-and-blue swoosh. The modern design will quickly become one of the most recognizable logos in motorsports. To see the logo click here(Williams Comapny)(1-21-2000)
PE hanging Dodge Sheet Metal? "(Ray) Evernham might be leading development along with Chrysler engineers, but Petty Enterprises is doing the actual work. While (Lou) Patane says additional teams will be announced around the time of this February's Daytona race (and drivers after that), sources in Charlotte say the Pettys are reporting to Evernham on the Intrepid's development and that they're over there hanging sheetmetal on frames[at Petty Enterprises]"(Autoweek)(1-20-2000)
Petty Re-news with Pontiac: Dodge may be in Petty Enterprises’ future, but Kyle Petty said that for the upcoming 2000 season, the Randleman, N.C., team will continue to enjoy its relationship with Pontiac. While Petty neve denies talking to Dodge, he says they are a GM team for 2000 and just recently renewed with Pontiac for 2000. He said the future was wide open(seen on the StockCarFans Newsletter from the Kingsport Times-News)(1-20-2000)
Petty to Dodge UPDATE 3: hearing that Petty Enterprises has decided to switch to the Dodge Intrepid for the 2001 Winston Cup season(12-21-1999) -- UPDATE: from Racer Magazine site - The announcement won't be made until after the first of the year, but Petty Enterprises has signed a deal with Chrysler that would make the entire Petty Winston Cup stable part of the Mopar group for 2001. Chrysler will likely make the formal announcement at the unveiling of the 2001 NASCAR Dodge Intrepid at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, probably on Jan. 11. The team will continue to use Pontiacs for the Cup teams in 2000(Racer Magazine)(12-22-1999) -- UPDATE 2: It is possible that a driver announcement for Ray Evernham's Dodge team could also be announced on 1-11-2000. Evernham expects to have running developmental Intrepids by May, likely powered by higher-compression versions of the Craftsman truck engine, pending development and NASCAR approval of an all-new Winston Cup V-8. Reportedly Pontiac fought to keep the Pettys, but has managed to keep the Joe Gibbs team with drivers Bobby Labonte and Tony Stewart in Pontiacs(SpeedVision)(12-23-1999) -- UPDATE 3: no announcement at the Dodge Winston Cup announcment, not sure when it will be made(1-11-2000)
Petty Donation: Seven-time NASCAR Winston Cup champion Richard Petty and No. 44 Hot Wheels Pontiac driver Kyle Petty donated $10,000 to the Boggy Creek Gang at the camp's annual holiday party. The money represents proceeds from the Richard Petty Driving Experience at Daytona USA. For 90 days, every lap driven at the attraction produced 50 cents for the Boggy Creek Gang and the Betty Jane France Speediatrics Center at Halifax Medical Center(Orlando Business Journal)(1-3-2000)
Kyle's 2000 Paint: on Dec 5th Kyle Petty appeared at Macy's in Herald Square New York City. His 2000 #44 Hot Wheels Pontiac was there(12-18-1999)
Person of the Year: NASCAR Winston Cup Illustrated has named Kyle Petty its 1999 Person of the year for his
"Charity Ride" has raised over $1.5 million in the five years it's been in existence and his food drives have provided thousands of meals for people who otherwise would have gone hungry. See the Interview and story at NOL(12-14-1999)
Kyles crew chief UPDATE and #43 Crew Chief: I hear Bobby Leslie will be Kyle Petty's new crew chief for the #44 Hot Wheels Pontiac, which as I have reported in the past will have a new look in 2000(12-10-1999) -- UPDATE: Greg Steadman has been promoted to crew chief for the #43 STP Pontiac driven by John Andretti, while Bobby Leslie joins Petty Enterprises to
become crew chief for the #44 Hot Wheels Racing Pontiac driven by Petty. Shane Cook has been named car chief for the #44 and Doug Murph has been named car chief for the #43, both moving up from the same respective teams. Leslie joined Petty Enterprises earlier this year from Roush Racing, where he was Busch Grand National racing's winningest crew chief from 1992-97. He had served as crew chief for Johnny Benson's Cheerios Ford in 1998(Williams Company)(12-13-1999)
#44 Crew Chief: Petty Enterprises has moved Greg Steadman into crew chief position for Kyle Petty's #44 Hot Wheels Pontiacs. Steadman, who has worked in recent years with Robbie Loomis, crew chief with John Andretti's #43 Pontiacs, replaces Doug Hewitt, who will take another position within Petty Enterprises(That's Racin')(12-3-1999)
Petty and Dodge: Richard Petty said Friday he still has not decided whether he will switch his two-car operation from Pontiac to Dodge once the new make comes to Winston Cup in the 2001 season. "Right now, it's in limbo," Petty said. "We're just letting it lay. When we decide what we want to do and they decide what they want to do, we'll make an announcement. But, right now, we're just waiting around."(News and Observer)(11-20-1999)
Kyle Petty Honored: Kyle Petty, the driver of the #44 Hot Wheels Pontiac out of Petty Enterprises on the NASCAR Winston Cup Series, has bee named the NASCAR Winston Cup Illustrated Person of the Year. The award, given annually by NASCAR Winston Cup Illustrated, is given in recognition of acheivement, sportsmanship and contributions to charity and community. Petty, an eight(not five)-time winner on the NASCAR Winston Cup Series, has conducted his Charity Ride Across America for five consecutive years. The ride is a group motorcycle trip across the country that raises money for various charities, among them the NASCAR Winston Cup Racing Wives Auxiliary. The WCRWA, among its other functions, establishes a fund that assists NASCAR competitors and their families in cases of deblitating injury. Over the years, the ride has earned thousands of dollars for selected charities. Additionally, the charity ride visits children’s hospitals and other sites across the country, promoting good will. Over the past few seasons, Petty has established a food bank drive to assist in feeding the hungry. Donation stations have been established a selected speedways, among them Lowe’s Motor Speedway, North Carolina Speedway and Bristol Motor Speedway, at which fans can donate unpershiable foods and goods in return for discounts at Petty’s Hot Wheels souvenir trailers. Petty was presented a handsome NWCI Person of the Year trophy and an enlarged copy of the December cover of NWCI, in which he is featured. The NWCI Person of the Year Award is determined by a vote of NASCAR fans, a special panel of competitors and members of the NWCI staff. The first award, in 1997, was presented to Jeff Gordon and Darrell Waltrip. Last year’s winner was Ray Evernham(Winston Cup Illustrated)(11-12-1999)
Petty's to Switch? UPDATE 2: Pontiac officials have been notified that Petty Enterprises will switch its Winston Cup teams to Dodge beginning with the 2001 season, according to a source within the General Motors camp. Another source in the NASCAR garage said Sunday that the Ray Evernham-owned cars are likely to carry the numbers 01 and 19. The 01 car would signify the year of Dodge's return. The 19 is a number Evernham used in his days as a modified driver in New England.(That's Racin')(11-8-1999) -- UPDATE: now an Associated Press(AP) story: Report: Petty Enterprises switching to Dodge in 2001(SpeedNet) -- UPDATE 2: At the top, General Motors and Pontiac say they have heard nothing official from Petty. Pontiac program manager Fred Simmonds and GM Raceshop spokesman Dave Hederich said Monday they had heard nothing official from any of the Pettys. Petty, or others in the Petty group, could not be reached Monday or Tuesday. Dodge officials and spokesmen all were said to be out of their offices. See full story at:(Racer Magazine(11-9-1999)
Kyle Color Change? in a question/answer posted on the Racing Champions Richard Petty Q&A, Petty mentioned that "There will be some exciting changes to Kyle's paint scheme next year, but I can't reveal them to you quite yet. It is safe to assume that the changes will be very well received among all TRUE Petty fans!!", hmm...Petty Blue maybe?(Thanks to the PettyPage for the heads up)(11-2-1999)
Petty Dodge? Gibbs No UPDATE: Insiders say that Richard Petty will return to Chrysler, and he spent a lot of time talking with Dodge executives Saturday in Talladega. Pontiac's Fred Simmons says he's not sure just what Petty may do for the 2001 season, but Petty Enterprises will run Pontiacs again in 2000. Simmons says Joe Gibbs' two-car team is firmly in the GM camp, despite overtures from Chrysler but Gibbs' is committed to General Motors products(PitNow)(10-19-1999) -- UPDATE: but Petty to Dodge? rumor has it that a three car Petty Cup effort with Dodge will be announced at the SEMA show in Las Vegas(not Phoenix)(10-20-1999)
New Sponsor? UPDATE: hearing Red Wing Shoes may be looking to get into Cup or BGN as a team sponsor? no other details(8-12-1999) -- UPDATE: Petty Enterprises announced that Red Wing shoes has joined the team as an associate sponsor for the Cup cars driven by Kyle Petty and John Andretti and the Grand National car driven by Adam Petty(The Depot)(10-7-1999)
Penalty: Kyle Petty and Dave Marcis were each penalized a lap for pitting outside the box. It's the same penalty given Jarrett at New Hampshire last weekend(The Depot)(9-27-1999)
Petty Paint: In celebration of the start of pro football's 1999 season, PLAYERS INC and Petty Enterprises will showcase special NFL player paint schemes on John Andretti's #43 STP Pontiac and Kyle Petty's #44 Hot Wheels Pontiac during the Exide NASCAR Select Batteries 400 to be held on September 11, 1999, at Richmond International Raceway. Some of the greatest NFL stars of all time will visit the Richmond facility to root the offensive ("Playmakers") and defensive ("Gamebreakers") teams to victory. Linebackers Dick Butkus (Hall of Fame, Chicago), Willie Lanier (Hall of Fame, Kansas City) and defensive end L.C. Greenwood (Pittsburgh) will help out in the Petty pit. In the Andretti pit will be running back Tony Dorsett (Hall of Fame, Dallas) and wide receiver Charley Taylor (Hall of Fame, Washington), along with running back Craig "Ironhead" Heyward (Indianapolis). In addition to the Petty's "Gamebreakers" scheme and Andretti's "Playmakers" scheme, Petty and Andretti will wear custom drivers suits and helmets which represent a distinct NFL player flavor. To further celebrate the season kickoff and this special event, PLAYERS INC has developed a unique PLAYERS INC/Team Petty Charity Challenge in which favorite charities of Petty and Andretti will be the benefactors of PLAYERS INC contributions, based on Andretti's and Petty's finishing order in the Richmond race. PLAYERS INC will donate $500,000 to charities nominated by Petty and Andretti if they finish first and second in the Richmond race ($400,000 to 1st place, $100,000 to 2nd place). If John and Kyle do not finish first and second, but one wins the race, his charity will receive $100,000. If neither of the drivers win the racing event, the highest finishing driver's charity will receive $10,000. Andretti has established the Riley's Children's Hospital and Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis as his charity and Petty has named Samaritan's Purse as his charity(Williams Co PR)(9-1-1999)
Kyles House: Homes owned by U.S. Sen. ``Fritz'' Hollings and Winston Cup driver Kyle Petty burned to the ground Friday night in a fire that swept through a resort community on this coastal island north of Charleston, SC.(8-14-1999)
Victory Motorcycles: this happened Wednesday - Only the roar of the Winston Cup Series’ #75 car will temper the commotion of 300,000 bike enthusiasts and their motorcycles at this year’s Sturgis Rally & Races. NASCAR star driver Kyle Petty will pilot the #75 Victory Motorcycles Winston Cup car through the streets of Sturgis on August 11 before appearing at the public unveiling of the new Victory V92SC motorcycle. Petty will drive to the unveiling event from 9:30 to 10am. The public introduction of Victory’s new V92SC will be held near the custom-painted Victory truck and trailer, just off Interstate 90 on exit 30 at 10am. The Victory Motorcycles #75 car competed in the Pepsi 400 in Daytona, Fla., on July 3. The car features a specially designed paint scheme with Victory Motorcycles’ logo on its hood and flames shooting from its front tires, stretching across the side panels. Victory Motorcycles, a division of Minneapolis-based Polaris Industries Inc., publicly introduced the Victory V92C two years ago and the first bike rolled out of the company’s Spirit Lake, Iowa, manufacturing facility last July. With more than 3,000 bikes off the assembly line, the company now boasts nearly 300 North American Victory dealers. Victory is the first new American-made motorcycle manufacturer to mass-distribute a bike in almost 50 years(Victory Motorcycle Site)(8-12-1999)
Toy Story II UPDATE2: hearing that two Toy Story schemes will be out sometime this summer by Hot Wheels: Cheerios/Woody Scheme and a Hot Wheels/Buzz Lightyear scheme. No idea if Kyle Petty in the #44 Hot Wheels car will run the scheme or if Johnny Benson in the #26 Cheerios car will run the schemes in a future race(7-7-1999) -- UPDATE: The #26 Cheerios/Woody Ford and #44 Hot Wheels/Buzz Lightyear Pontiac will be run at Atlanta in the season finale, see the images on the Paint Scheme Gallery(7-29-1999)
Petty Honor: Turner Sports, TBS Superstation and the Atlanta Braves will honor the Petty family legacy in the world of auto racing at Atlanta's Turner Field on Sunday, August 1. The afternoon will be packed with on-field presentations, fan give-aways and interactive games. Highlights of the ceremony will be shown at the start of the Braves-Phillies(Jayski's Team) telecast at 1:05pm/et on TBS Superstation. Activities for "Petty Family Day at the Braves": Richard, Kyle and Adam will throw out first pitch; Petty grandchildren will announce starting line-ups; Commemorative ticket of Lee's first win at Daytona; Presentation of Braves jerseys for each driver; Fleetwood Homes NASCAR water bottle give-away; Six NASCAR Show Cars on display in the Concourse; The Pettys will be R.E. Turner's guests in his box; Some fans will win the Richard Petty Driving Experience classStockCarFans Newsletter(7-27-1999)
Annoucement UPDATE 2: I hear there be a press conference involving Richard Petty and Danny Sullivan, Thursday, July 1, at Daytona International Speedway. I have no clue or idea's what this is about, no specualtion needed(6-26-1999) -- Not sure how Petty's illness will effect this announcement as I hear he will NOT be in Daytona(6-27-1999) -- UPDATE: Petty couldn't be there, but the announcement was that Pontiac is making 1000 special Pontiac Grand Prix's, 5 each for each of the King's 200 wins(ESPN2 Qual)(7-1-1999) -- UPDATE 2: The Petty family announced that Pontiac will produce 1,000 limited-edition Richard Petty cars that will cost $50,000 each and feature 300-horsepower engine, carbon fiber instrument housing, Petty autographed leather interior and high performance suspension and brake package(News and Record)(7-2-1999)
Petty Back: Richard Petty, hospitalized last week with bleeding ulcers, plans to be on hand for the Pepsi 400. Petty, 62, was back at work at his team's shop Monday despite having losing 40% of his blood during the ordeal. His son, Kyle, said Petty planned to fly here in time for the 8pm/et start of tomorrow's race(The Tennessean)(7-2-1999)
Petty Ill UPDATE 3: Richard Petty is in the hospital with bleeding Ulcers. He collapsed at home recently after losing 40% of his blood. He was in intensive care for a day or so, but is doing much better and is expected to go home this weekend(ESPN2 Qualifying and Kyle Petty), get well King(6-25-1999) -- UPDATE: Richard Petty is scheduled to be released from a Greensboro, N.C., hospital this morning(Sunday). Petty collapsed Wednesday and was transported to the hospital to be treated for bleeding ulcers. In the past, the owner of Petty Enterprises had a part of his stomach removed to help treat the ulcers. The problem is currently under control, but doctors did not trust Petty to take it easy, so they opted to hold him until today(Times-Dispatch) and see story at That's Racin': Petty recovering after massive blood loss from bleeding ulcers(AP)(6-27-1999) -- UPDATE 2: Richard Petty was not discharged Sunday from Moses Cone Hospital in Greensboro, as expected, but son Kyle said there was little cause for concern. Doctors kept NASCAR's winningest driver for another day because of the suspicion that Petty would fly out to Sears Point rather than continue to convalesce at home(SpeedNet)(6-28-1999) -- UPDATE 3: Richard Petty checked out of a hospital Monday and returned home after being treated for bleeding ulcers. Petty, 61, was admitted to Moses Cone Hospital in Greensboro last week after he lost 40 percent of his blood, according to his son, Kyle. Petty returned home to Randleman, NC and wants to get back to work at Petty Enterprises(PitNow)(6-29-1999)
Testing UPDATE 2: Kyle Petty and John Andretti are supposed test at Road Atlanta on Monday and Tuesday(June 14-15th)in preparation of the upcoming road course races(Williams Co)(6-13-1999) -- UPDATE 1: I hear Ward Burton and Tom Hubert will test Bill Davis' Pontiacs at Road Atlanta on Monday - UPDATE 2: Rusty Wallace in the #2 Ford and Kenny Irwin in the #28 also tested(WC Today Radio)(6-14-1999)
Kyle and the IRL UPDATE 1: Kyle Petty will be in Indianapolis Wednesday being fitted in an IRL car out of the Panther Racing stable. They plan on testing next week in Atlanta with the notion of running an IRL race when NASCAR has the week off. This was all just confirmed by a local Indianapolis ABC affiliate,WRTV. With the leaking of the news that a Cup car is being prepared for Adam for next season(John Andretti Fanpage/Newsletter).(the Adam Petty thing was reported on Jayski a few days ago from info obtained on the Adam Petty site) Also, if all goes well, he could run one of the team's cars in the Atlanta IRL event on July 17(AP/WRAL)(6-9-1999) -- UPDATE 1: The #43 and, hopefully if it is ready, the #44, are going to test at Road Atlanta this coming Monday(6-14). Panther Racing was planning on testing there Tuesday. Terry Lingner, who has a management relationship with Panther Racing and is also a friend of Kyle's through ESPN (Lingner is president of Lingner Productions, which produces the ESPN races), asked Kyle if he would be interested in staying over Tuesday and trying a few laps in the IRL car. Kyle, being a racer, said he would like to. They were supposed to fit the seat for Kyle Wednesday(6-9) but because of committments Kyle had in New York City, he couldn't be there. The seat won't be fitted and Kyle won't be testing Tuesday in an IRL car. Basically, it was a fun-type deal and something Kyle, like any racer, wanted to try. There was no talk beyond a few laps at Road Atlanta Tuesday. Kyle was at a licensing show for Mattel in New York City. Kyle Petty has said he has NOT discussed running the IRL event at Atlanta with anyone and, for that matter, hasn't discussed any IRL events in the future(Williams Co)(6-10-1999)
Adam Petty to Cup? From the Adam Petty site in his Dover Journal - "I’m not supposed to comment on that question, but if y’all can keep a secret I’ll tell you that we are building a Cup car for next year. Whether or not I run it depends a lot on how this year goes. As of today, we are planning to run 5 Cup races next year"(www.adampetty.com)(6-7-1999)
Petty Announcement: A celebration of the first 50 years — and the next 50
years — of stock car racing’s most famous entity will continue with unique 50th Anniversary cars in August. Four Petty Enterprises’ teams will race in Indianapolis, Indiana featuring special paint schemes that highlight the beginning of the second 50 years of a winning tradition. The #43 STP Pontiac driven by John Andretti and the #44 Hot Wheels Pontiac driven by Kyle Petty will carry special colors in the Brickyard 400, Saturday, August 7, at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Adam Petty’s #45 Spree Prepaid Foncard Chevrolet will compete in the Kroger NASCAR 200 Busch race Friday night, August 6, and Jimmy Hensley’s #43 Dodge by Petty will compete in the IRP 200 Truck series race Thursday night, August 5, both of those at Indianapolis Raceway Park. It is the only time all four teams race in the same major market in front of a “Big Three” network television audience (ABC for the Brickyard 400; ESPN for both IRP events). This marks the first time in NASCAR history that four identically-designed vehicles race in the same city on the same race weekend. The vehicles will be dominated by Petty blue, the color that has won more NASCAR Winston Cup events than any other, with gold trim and gold wheels. The unique design will no be seen again, except on the collectible die-cast vehicles manufactured by Mattel’s Hot Wheels brand. A four-vehicle set that includes the Dodge by Petty truck in 1/64 scale will be sold exclusively at Wal-Mart retailers nationwide. In addition, the Winston Cup and Busch cars will be sold in various scales through online sales, direct mail, hobby shops and trackside sales. In further celebration of the 50th Anniversary, Petty Enterprises is planning a September event to honor all of the 41 former drivers of Petty Enterprises’ cars. Additional details regarding the event will be revealed in the next few months.(The Williams Company)(5-27-1999)
Petty/Players Inc UPDATE 1: Players Inc/Petty Enterprises will be unveiling their 1999 special schemes for the 1999 Cup and truck events this coming Monday(May 24th) at a special television taping with the 1999 NFL first round rookies, Jimmy Hensley, John Andretti, and Kyle Petty. The shoot will be at the Citrus Bowl in Orlando. The truck will be run at Texas on June 11 and the Cup cars(#'s 43 and 44) will run at Richmond on September 11th, which is the night before the opening day for the NFL. All three drivers will have some wild suits and helmets. All the vehicles will be available as limited edition diecast from Hot Wheels and some pretty wild merchandise is being made, too. Some notable NFL players, present and past, will be in the teams' pits to help(Pole Position Productions)(5-20-1999) -- UPDATE 1 Postponed? New date: Please Join Petty Enterprises! A significant announcement in celebration of 50 years. 10:30am/et on Thursday, May 27, Infield Media Center, Lowe's Motor Speedway. Kyle Petty, Richard Petty, Adam Petty John Andretti, Jimmy Hensley Robbie Loomis and Doug Hewitt will be there. Announcement followed by interviews, photo opportunities(Williams Company)(5-24-1999)
Kyle and Indy: Kyle Petty was asked during the BGN rain delay today about the Indy 500 rumor. He confirmed two teams called him, and he was interested, but decided against it at this time. His quote, "When I was 21 I would have done it. At 38 I had to think about it." Petty did leave the door open however, saying he'd love to try racing an IRL car some time(ESPN/Matt)(5-23-1999)
Wild Rumor UPDATE 1: from SpeedNet: "The rumor of NASCAR Winston Cup driver Kyle Petty coming to Indianapolis in an attempt to make the 500 apparently has merit. Petty called Mike Guglielmucci of Bell Helmet last weekend saying he was "80 percent sure" he had a deal, presumably with either Ron Hemelgarn or John Menard. "His helmet is in the paint shop as we speak, and there's a white one in my office waiting for him," Guglielmucci said. Petty has never run an Indy car."(SpeedNet thanks Fred) I find this hard to believe as Petty never took the rookie test as of yet, he would have to practice before Speedway officials would let him qualify, I guess we'll see. Maybe it's for John Andretti??(5-19-1999) -- UPDATE 1: see some more info on this situation at Racing Press - Indy Rumors (5-20-1999)
Kyles Ride: Kyle Petty's Charity Ride Across America ended Sunday when Petty and his group of 250 riders arrived at his farm after eight consecutive days on the road. The ride started in Fontana, CA, near the California Speedway. All proceeds from the ride, about $500,000, went to children's hospitals across the country. On Sunday, Kyle Petty donated $100,000 to Brenner Children's Hospital in Winston-Salem(PitNow)(5-11-1999)
Kyle's Ride UPDATE 1: Kyle Petty is hitting the road after finishing 26th in the California 500. Petty's annual charity ride will leave Ontario, Calif., on Monday morning and end May 9 at his farm in Trinity, N.C., a journey of 2,863 miles. Along the way, Petty, his father, Richard Petty, the younger Petty's son, Adam, Ken Schrader, Joe Nemechek, Geoff Bodine and more than 200 other riders will stop at children's hospitals to present checks, meet with patients and sign autographs. In the ride's first four years, more than $1 million has been raised. For more info see the image and link to the left under 'Racing Charity Spotlite'(Infobeat/AP)(5-3-1999) -- UPDATE 1: at GoRacing - Kyle Petty's Annual Charity Bike Ride Underway and more links to updates can be found at my Racing Charities Page(5-6-1999)
Chicken Money: When the Petty cars get in the top 10, the crew get bonus' or what they call Chicken Money. The last two weeks they got Double Chicken money as both Kyle Petty and John Andretti were in the top 10. Andretti said because the team won at Martinsville, they get Steak Money(RPM2Nite)(4-21-1999)
Kyle Leads: The four laps that Kyle Petty led at Martinsville on Sunday were the first laps he has led since Atlanta in November of 1997. That's 41 races(counting the two he missed this year)(Henry Stockcarfans Newsletter)(4-19-1999)
Yes it was Kyle: Had many questions about the Kyle Petty testing accident at Talladega on Wednesday, here is what Monte Dutton has in a SpeedNet story: Kyle Petty, already mired in a horrible slump, had a freak accident while testing on Wednesday at Talladega Superspeedway. The throttle stuck as Petty was driving down pit road, and the Pontiac lurched violently out of control and through a fence, eventually rocketing into an infield flagpole. Petty was unhurt, but he car was obviously demolished. "I rank through the chain-link fence and over a couple of azaleas, and I think a couple of dandelions gave their lives, too," said Petty. "It was just a freak deal".(SpeedNet)(4-17-1999)
Petty Press Conference UPDATE 2: A press conference for Petty Enterprises is scheduled at the Level Cross,
N.C., shops at 10:30am, Wednesday, April 7, 1999(The Williams Co), no idea what it's about, special paint schemes??(3-30-1999) -- UPDATE 1: Petty will open the revamped shop in Level Cross, NC next Wednesday. Petty Enterprises is expected to announce the game plan for their 50th Anniversary celebration and debut the coordinating paint schemes Kyle Petty, John Andretti's Cup cars, Adam Petty's BGN car and Jimmy Hensley's truck when they race at Indy in August(SpeedVison)(3-31-1999) -- UPDATE 2: Petty Enterprises opened its newly expanded race shop to the public for the first time during a press conference in Level Cross, N.C., today. Announcements regarding plans for Petty’s 50th anniversary celebration were also revealed. The 20,000 square foot addition to the existing race shop is the largest expansion in Petty Racing history. The addition includes new engine assembly rooms, offices and a spacious work area for the preparation of the Winston Cup race cars driven by John Andretti and Kyle Petty. Petty Racing was founded as Lee Petty Engineering in 1949. Petty Racing has totaled 268 wins and 10 championships in NASCAR’s premier series. The expanded engine room and race shop are but one facet of Petty Racing’s investment in its future. Also underway are major purchases of equipment -particularly high-tech engine and research and development software and hardware. As important is the investment in key personnel to take Petty Racing back to the pinnacle of the sport. A special paint scheme for all of the Petty
Racing vehicles to be run in Indianapolis on August 5-7, 1999, will be unveiled at a May 27th press conference at the Lowe’s Motor Speedway in Concord, N.C. In further celebration of the 50th anniversary, Petty Racing is planning
a September event to honor all of the 41 former drivers of Petty Racing cars. Additional details regarding the event will be revealed in the next few months. Many of the key personnel at Petty Racing were present at Wednesday’s
press conference, including Lee, Richard, Kyle, Adam and Maurice Petty. Team manager Robbie Loomis appeared, as well as drivers John Andretti and Jimmy Hensley, and crew chief Doug Hewitt. Former team manager Dale Inman also played an important role. The event was emceed by ESPN’s Bill Weber and longtime local sportscaster Charlie Harville also spoke at the announcement(The Williams Co) Also more info and images can be seen at the Petty Racing site(4-7-1999)
Kyles Ride: Getting many questions on this, so I got some info - "Kyle Petty's Hot Wheels Charity Ride Across America" will be celebrating its 5th anniversary this year and will begin on Monday, May 3 (after Fontana) and will end each day in the following cities, Williams, AZ, Las Cruces, NM, Del Rio, TX, Beaumont, TX, Biloxi, MS, Atlanta, GA and finally at Kyle's farm in Trinity, NC. The ride is being coordinated by the Winston Cup Wives Auxiliary. Kyle will have a special paint scheme on the #44 Hot Wheels Pontiac for the Fontana race commemorating the ride. For more info and a website link, see my Racing Charities Page(4-1-1999)
Petty Sponsor: Driving Impressions Inc., the North American importer of OMP racing equipment, will sponsor the Cup and BGN Petty Enterprises teams and drivers with OMP racing safety equipment(SpeedNet) didn't mention the truck team(2-19-1999)
Lobster: The two Richard Petty teams, the #43 STP Pontiac with John Andretti and the #44 Hot Wheels Pontiac with Kyle Petty has picked up sponsorship from Red Lobster Restaurants, which will be on the decklid of each car(2-6-1999)
Loomis promoted UPDATE: Robbie Loomis has been selected to replace retiring General Manager Dale Inman at Petty Enterprises. Loomis, crew chief for John Andretti, will take on the added responsibility of general manager for the teams of Andretti and Kyle Petty. Inman has been with Petty Enterprises almost since its inception. Inman decided to retire at the end of the 1998 season(Times-Dispatch)(1-25-1999) -- hear that Greg Steadman will be the #43 Crew Chief next year(2000) and maybe by the end of this year(Petty Page)(1-29-1999)
Petty Colors: I have gotten a few rumors saying the #43 STP Pontiac would have a new paint scheme in 1999. Not true, my sources tell me. There was no design a paint scheme this year as there was the past two years, the #43 Pontiac woll basically be the same paint scheme as it was in 1998. The #44 Kyle Petty Hot Wheels Pontiac will be the same but lose the white stripe around the bottom of the car(12-4-98)
PE Notes: Other notes on the team: Mike Suter was Kyle Petty's crew chief Atlanta, Bobby Kennedy left after Rockingham. Doug Hewitt comes aboard for the 1999 season(as previosuly announced).(11-14-98) -- After talking to UPS concerning sponsorship of the #43, Richard Petty has signed STP to a one year deal as the primary sponsor with Petty having a two-year option(Winston Cup Today Radio) I am hearing that UPS is looking to sponsor a Cup team in 1999, no word on who they are looking at.(11-16-98)
